Public records show that our friend Jeff Batten has left us, on May 25th, 2010

He posted as Juan de fuca, prowsolo, the general, rockstar, lostarrow and other alias.

And he was the original internet troll on the subject of climbing, dating far back into the usenet board Rec.climbing, before the web had such communications.

For a long time, Jeff's posts were merely trolls, sometime appreciated, sometimes resented. But as time went on, Jeff opening up on supertopo and shared more and more of himself with the online community. His scientific interests, his struggles with physical pain and depression, and his explorations into spirituality. He was our taco seismograph.

I choose to believe that Jeff is relieved from his struggles now, after facing them and exploring many ways of inner peace. I offer condolences for those who knew and will miss him. We will.

I'm not sure how many people really knew him over here. Obviously a lot of us on Supertopo did, since he moved there from rec.climbing years ago. I like the pictures Ouch! did of him as Frankenstein's monster. ha ha. You never knew if he was pulling your leg or being serious.

Wow, I've not been monitoring the climbing on-line world much any more, life taking me away from the sport. I virtually knew Jeff from rec.climbing, and recognized him as the absolute master of trolling. Very, very sad to read of his passing.

Now the new bolt on Double Cross at J-Tree, with the initials "JNB" painted on the rock next to it, makes sense.